CHICAGO – Brandon Crawford led off from second base as he watched Eduardo Núñez make hard contact in three acts.

First came the lineout into the glove of Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant. Then came Núñez’s bat, which whacked the ground with such force it’s a wonder he didn’t strike oil. Finally, off came the helmet, for a test of its own shock resistance.

Could Crawford relate, after lining out twice in the Giants’ 2-1 loss at Wrigley Field?

“Yeah,” the Giants’ stoic shortstop said. “I just tried to hide it a little better today. I mean, may have had to get a new helmet. May have.”

As Crawford softly spoke at his locker, a nearby trash can contained the remnants of one of his bats with a No.35 decal on the handle. The concrete corridors at Wrigley Field afford greater privacy. Despite being 103 years old, they are as sturdy as ever.

The Giants’ psyche is less solid. For the second consecutive day, they registered three hits in a one-run loss to baseball’s best team.

It took Hunter Pence’s home run to break up Jon Lester’s no-hit bid with two outs in the seventh inning. What’s more, Pence’s shot snapped the Giants’ unconscionable 0-for-40 run at the plate that began following Pence’s single in the third inning of Thursday night’s loss.

Over the two games, they failed to register a hit in 12 consecutive innings – something that hadn’t happened to them since June 26-27, 1980, when the Dodgers’ Jerry Reuss no-hit them at Candlestick Park.

The Giants had a hard time squaring up those results when they … well, squared so many up. They made a litany of leather-seeking lineouts against Lester, and all that hard contact was as productive as taking maple to concrete.

“You need a little luck in this game,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “You don’t look for it, but it’s nice to get. Some balls we did hit well were right at them. The most important thing is having good at-bats.”

Bochy alluded to Lester’s renowned yips on pickoff throws, saying, “If we get someone on, you can do some things to put on a little pressure. But we couldn’t get a ball to fall.”

The Giants fell to a major league-worst 15-29 since the All-Star break, and this

is how far they have fallen: they made a victory out of not getting embarrassed.

Lester was cruising with his no-hitter in the truest sense. He had thrown just 66 pitches through six innings, and for the Cubs, the game held all the markers for a historic afternoon.

For the Giants (72-62), they simply felt marked by the beast. Crawford used the whole field, scorching a lineout to first base in the second inning and then drilling a liner that third baseman Kris Bryant left his spikes to snag in the fifth.

In Núñez’s first at-bat, he lined a comebacker that Lester, who wouldn’t win a Gold Glove if it were a participation trophy, somehow smothered.

When center fielder Dexter Fowler made a diving catch of pinch hitter Kelby Tomlinson’s sinking line drive in the sixth inning, the sellout crowd stood and cheered.

But Lester left a 1-2 fastball over the plate to Pence, who hit his second home run in as many days.

Before Pence’s home run, the Cubs had retired 40 of the last 41 Giants batters they faced. Buster Posey’s walk in the first inning against Lester was the Giants’ only baserunner; the Cubs had retired the final 20 batters in Thursday’s game.

Suddenly, the Giants’ ambitions went from avoiding embarrassment to knocking off the league’s best team.

Then, because it always seems to happen this way, Crawford was rewarded for much softer contact. He slipped a ground ball under the glove of second baseman Ben Zobrist and hustled for a double when he saw the Cubs outfielders, perhaps stiff from inactivity, were slow to react.

“I thought the momentum had changed,” Crawford said in a deadpan. “Then we went back to hitting line drives.”

With the tying run in scoring position, the Giants’ accursed luck returned soon enough. Núñez hit his hard lineout to third base, then spiked his bat and helmet in a show of anger.

“For some guys, it evens out,” Crawford said. “I feel like it doesn’t for me. But just a few feet to the left or right (for Núñez) and that’s a base hit and an RBI.

“It doesn’t matter, I’ll take three bloopers. I want to get hits. After spring training, I don’t think about hitting the ball hard. I think about getting hits. I want results. Of course you’d prefer to hit the ball hard. But you want to get on base and drive in runs any way you can. “

The Giants chose Albert Suarez over Matt Cain to be their No.5 starter down the stretch, even though the former came to spring camp as a minor league free agent and the latter is owed more than $30 million.

Suarez did a creditable job with flu-ridden backup catcher Trevor Brown, working four tidy innings out of five and minimizing the damage the one time the Cubs made a mess of things.

The Cubs set up their two-run rally in the third inning when Javier Baez picked an outside pitch out of the dirt and guided an opposite-way double down the first base line. David Ross followed with a double into the left field corner, advanced on Lester’s sacrifice and scored on Dexter Fowler’s floating single to center.

Suarez’s biggest mistake might have been when he fielded Lester’s bunt and didn’t hear his teammates yelling to throw to third base.

“It’s a tough lineup they have, and our (pitchers) did a good job,” Bochy said. “Two runs, you take your chances there.”

The Giants could not score three.

Brown, whose throat was so swollen that doctors thought he had mononucleosis before tests ruled it out, heaved for air after he doubled in the eighth inning. The Giants stranded him there.

Pence drew a two-out walk in the ninth before plate umpire Tom Hallion delivered his roundhouse strike call – familiar to Giants fans from the clinching pitch of the 2010 NLCS in Philadelphia — to ring up Crawford and end the game.

Bochy has run out of things to say after losses like these. But he doesn’t envision lineup changes, aside from putting Brandon Belt back at first base and Posey behind the plate to face reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta on Saturday.

“Well, they’re our guys,” Bochy said. “We’re going with our guys. The way Lester was throwing, he’s a tough pitcher for anyone. And tomorrow, we know it doesn’t get any easier. But you’ve got to find a way.”

Andrew Baggarly

Andrew Baggarly has documented the most eventful era in San Francisco Giants baseball history, having covered the team since 2004 for th​ree major media outlets including the San Jose Mercury News and the Oakland Tribune​. This is his 20th season as a baseball writer.
​Baggarly is the author of the bestselling book, A Band of Misfits: Tales of the 2010 San Francisco Giants, and the newly published Giant Splash: Bondsian Blasts, World Series Parades and Other Thrilling Moments By the Bay. Baggarly’s other notable life accomplishments include running as the Bratwurst in the Milwaukee Sausage Race and becoming a three-time Jeopardy! champion.

318 Comments

Good write-up Baggs. The 15-29 stat since the break is absolutely staggering. I did not think that to be possible with this starting rotation. Cubs are a heck of a team, which is why it would’ve been nice to have some better momentum coming into the series.

Have to admit this line made me laugh pretty hard: “He slipped a ground ball under the glove of second baseman Ben Zobrist and hustled for a double when he saw the Cubs outfielders, perhaps stiff from inactivity, were slow to react.”

15-29 with this roster of well paid athletes and management is unacceptable. It’s not the Giants way to shake things up. But, this is bad.

I was wrong about expecting Bochy to retire…not given the money on that extension. We owe lots of guys lots of money, and some are not close to performing.

In a matter of two months, we imploded. Some form of heads should roll. Heads won’t roll. Sell outs WILL stop. Owners will get frustrated, and eventually, things will get blown up ( see TO’s post from earlier today).

This series was a test. Halfway through, the results are clear : the Cubs are who we used to be and who we wish we were…from 1 through 40, at manager, at GM. No, not EVERY player is better. But the roster is better. By a whole lot…whole lot.

The Giants are forcing and seemed to have abandoned team baseball in favor of swinging for the fence. With Belt and Posey off the rails, everyone seems to be trying to fill up the hole they’ve left in the BO.

If the Giants continue in this nosedive and miss the playoffs, it will be interesting to see if any of the beat writers do any critical analysis/truth-telling about how and why this season went sour. There really aren’t any excuses. They spent money. They made trades. They had some injuries but not enough to explain the freefall, and the most serious one (Pence) was at least somewhat compensated for by the contributions of the younger outfielders.

If any heads are to roll, it obviously won’t be Bochy’s. But I wouldn’t object to seeing Roberto Kelly and Bam Bam go.

Too early to pass judgement Matthew. Let’s see how the season plays out… Then, ….If we don’t make the postseason or get eliminated in the Wild Card game I agree that heads need to roll and we need to make some changes to the roster…

Kelly and Bam Bam aren’t the problem and firing them will not change much honestly. See my post below. We have to wait to see how the season goes but if we don’t make the playoffs I say Evans gets canned and Bochy gets a seriously short leash and warning by the front office… and the team makes changes on the roster for next year like adding real power, letting Pagan go (though he has been our best offensive player this year), letting Cain go, letting Peavy go, and going with a youth movement in the outfield with Mac and Jarrett. I would also look within the system for a 5th starter or stick to Suarez… I would also consider trading Pence, who is aging fast, for a young arm…

Come back. You don’t need to do this. Just take my hand and we can talk about it. There are many people who need you and things are going to get better… I hope this works for you because it is not working for me much…

I don’t think the Cubs are better than us by a whole lot and maybe not at all. I think we match up well with them. They just won two squeakers against us. They did not bludgeon us. We beat them 2 of 3 at home earlier this year… I think the Giants just stink right now and they can play better and beat any team in either league in the postseason if they had a best of 7 and they were playing up to their capabilities.

When they go to the bench, on any given day, they choose from guys like Baez/Russell, They have Chapman as closer, and steadier arms in the pen. Our started are supposedly better, but they are trotting out Arrieta, Lester, Lackey, Hendricks, Hammel…. Maddon is perhaps the best manager in baseball. Epstein is a gigantic leap better than Evans.

Kelly isn’t THE problem, but he is A problem, and they should get a better 3B coach for next year.

I do think Bam Bam is part of the problem. This offense is underachieving big time and has gone through lengthy dead spells in each of the past several seasons. He seems to have no solutions when that happens. Maybe there’s too much familiarity between him and the hitters and they’re not hearing him anymore. I like Steve Decker’s approach and wouldn’t mind seeing him promoted. I also think the Sacramento manager, Jose Aguacil (Augie), has some game. Last year his Richmond team turned around after a wretched start, and the River Cats are finishing very strong this year. They have more flair and energy offensively than the Giants do, having watched both teams closely.

I tend to agree with you that really Evans and Bochy are the bigger problems. Evans has taken some risks this year, so I can’t accuse him of stagnation, but the strange roster construction with the huge bullpen and the weak bench and no third catcher right now, and a cajillion minor league pitchers on the 40 who are never going to get a chance because they keep going out and getting new major league starters…it shows some ineptitude.

They still haven’t won anything yet. When they win 3 rings in 6 years then I will be impressed! I like Maddon but quite frankly, you and I could manage that Cubs team and win 100 games! Let’s see what happens in the playoffs and what kind of longevity the Cubs before we start s()(*#*king their you-know-whats just yet….

You are probably right that there should be hell to pay for this putrid offensive showing with Bam Bam going… I agree also on promoting Decker… Yes Evans isn’t the sole person responsible and quite honestly, the person I hold accountable the most is Bochy… but it is hard to imagine firing him after this season but I do not accept another season or bad streak like this from him or anyone else next year…. We simply have too much talent and too high a payroll for these results. It looks very possible that we will not make the postseason and that we will finish under 500! That is incredible! 15-29 is outrageous. That is over a 1/4 of a whole season of terrible baseball!

Sept is going to be a wonderful month. Nice temps, kids Sat morning soccer, planting the winter veggies, out of office work and no more of this crappie season. I’ll be in touch with final My Guys totals but otherwise I’ve had enough of all things Giants (not that it hasn’t been fun and that I won’t miss you all), but I’m outta here. I hope you can all get more pleasure than pain as this team wallows toward a historic collapse.

And–let’s admit it: Bochy is part of the problem. I’ve said enough about how he stuck way too long with Peavy and Cain and Casilla, and I’m really frustrated about the “yeah, we know, but there’s no one else.” Well, “no one else” did a pretty fine job against the Cubs today.

The biggest problem right now is his unwillingness to vary the lineup. It’s been a problem since July. When other managers’ teams have slumps, they give players days off and move people around the batting order. You at least try SOMETHING. Put Kelby Tomlinson at the top of the order for a day and give Nunez or Panik or Crawford a day off. Get the slugging young OFs some ABs. The regulars are tired and pressing. Bochy’s only answer seems to be to move Belt around in the lineup or bench him.

I feel the same but I just love baseball too much. I *want* to stay away, but just don’t think I have the discipline. At least with football starting that will be a distraction, but then again going from the 15-29 Giants to the Niners is going from one dumpster fire to the next.

If I were giving him advice (and yes, I realize how ludicrous that sounds), I’d say two things. First, “patience” and “long leash” can become “complacency” and “lack of urgency.” He’s too willing to lose games in the name of “staying the course,” assuming that in the long run it will pay off. Teams should always play hungry and give their best effort. And no more hockey substitutions where four regulars sit out on the same day. Try to win EVERY day. The fans actually do deserve that, especially that day’s paying customers.

Second, merit trumps seniority. For example, guys like Blackburn and Heston and maybe others should have been allowed to compete with Cain for the fifth starter position in spring training. Cain hadn’t done a thing last year to earn a rotation spot being handed to him. How is it good for an organization when a guy like Blackburn, signed out of high school and having put in four solid years in the minors, wins the PCL ERA title and is told “No chance. Go back to AAA and wait, maybe forever”? Or when Heston, who won 12 major league games and pitched a no-hitter, is told in December he’s out of the rotation, end of discussion?

Finally, on September 1, Bochy made a merit (Suarez) over seniority (Cain) decision. But it took way too long.

In short: a sense of urgency. Games you let slip away in May or July may end your season the first weekend of October. Reward merit and make people earn their spots–yes, even the highly paid veterans.

I agree with most everything you said, except I actually am an Evans fan. I like the moves he’s made except for the GROSS overpay for Will Smith. I actually think this collapse is more on Bochy than Evans. But Bochy is a sure fire HOFer in my book and no way in hell will (or should) he be fired. I still have confidence in both Bochy and Evans. This is a very talented roster that inexplicably has nosedived.

And not to be an agitator but you literally told me the other day “enjoy your doom.” Well, here we are two days later. The point I was trying to make then was it’s not a doom and gloom perspective. At this point, 15-29, is an objective analysis of a team in an all out nosedive. So, I am giving you a virtual hug in that we now appear to be on the same page. A team we love, that has a lot of talent, has inexplicably lost it and it can no longer be called an aberration or slump. The crazy thing is I *still* think they’ll make the playoffs due to the NL’s mediocrity.

The bullpen has been mostly an Achilles heel all year and the SP has just worn down in the second half. The maddening thing is the bench *could* be solid if guys like KT, Mac and Parker were on it most of the year. I understand while EA was out there *may* have been a need for my hero, Conor, but I’d bet KT can play 3B as well as dear ‘ole Conor.

I feel like the Giants sabotaged their own bench. And I still wonder what the pen might be like with a healthy Law and a “rediscovered” Osich. Priority No. 1 this offseason is to buy some RP help for the back-end to supplement the talent in there currently. I don’t think any position players need to be added, just let Pagan go and plug in Mac.

As for the beat writers critical analysis/truth telling, I think AB’s write up today is the beginning. The disdain in his write-up is palpable and if September is anything like August things in the media room are going to start getting nasty, as they should, IMO.

I think one thing that is being mentioned more frequently is Buster has worn down a bit. If you look at 2014 and 2012 he carried this team in the second half. He has not been able to do that this year and I don’t think it’s coincidental that the team is what, 4-12, in 1 run games post ASB. He hasn’t been terrible, but the power has been nonexistent. I think that’s a huge reason why this team cannot get out of its nosedive.

Others have needed to step up power wise in his stead, but it’s been the opposite. And that has resulted in almost an entire absence of clutch hitting and a complete power outage.

Evans has done everything he can. I think he only made one bad move, which was the trade for Smith. Otherwise I just don’t agree with placing so much blame at his feet. The RP market was terrible this past offseason and look at the prices during the trade deadline. He tried to acquire RP help but that’s the one area he got burned. He’s put together a talented roster that has just been lifeless post ASB.

I agree 100%. When the lower back is hurting it zaps the power. The sad thing is nobody else has stepped up to help out. They’ve all shrunk together, which has made this offense mostly depressing to watch post ASB.

There really can’t be talk of heads rolling unless that is one’s personal bent to dwell on that topic – I mean there was one hit and then three – but this here shows plenty of guys competing their guts out http://m.mlb.com/video/search?game_pk=448875

We do know,don’t we that the difference from a ground ball or a line drive sneaking through or getting caught is 6 inches or less.

Maddening, of course. Frustrating, of course, but in many cases they are getting beat by teams that are playing better and have depth that is playing better. Regarding whether the Giants have no soul – have given up – have no gumption – have coaches who can’t coach or have no acumen – I mean how do we draw a parallel and empirically answer that question. I’m just guessing but there might be 10-16 NL/AL teams that are out of post season hope.

We’ve all said this before since 2010 when a spark is ignited after terrible doldrums that “know one wants to play this team in post season if”…..we know that’s a HUGE if but how do actual fans of the Giants decide the last month that they’re no longer worth standing behind. There use to be comments here back in the day that went something like “if things don’t work out – “I’m” at least happy that they played the kids”. Those days are sort of over since those former kids are now part of the everyday LU. This year they spent money on guys outside the organization with clumsy results but the Giants are not the only team to have spent money on name players and gone south. Baseball history is not pretty with big name acquisitions that have not gotten a club to post season until perhaps the year after.

Yes it is time to be mad and disappointed and furious but there is a way to criticize without being denigrating but one has to have a moment of pause and or the ability within to do that.

That’s the point … no use of “rolling heads” unless one has another head to replace the one you want to roll. The Giants are what they are and this season we’ve seen what they can do when their talent displays itself and how bad they can be when it doesn’t. Injuries have taken a toll and they’re pretty tight-lipped about the health of Posey, Pagan, and Pence. After all of this sturm and drang, the oddity is that they still occupy the #1 WC spot. We can only hope that the expansion to a 40-man roster will help some guys get healthy through rest.

Which year was it when he hit only one HR after the break? The Giants are second-to-last in HRs in the NL but doesn’t it seem like all of the HRs they do get are solo shots? A stray 2-run job here and there but I can’t even recall the last 3-run shot and forget about grand slams. Also, they don’t spread their HRs evenly. They’ll get 3 or even 4 in one game and then hit a mighty drought.

Three hits two games in a row is a little tough to watch. I missed the game today but it just spared me a bit of sadness. I see Jon Lester only had 4 K’s which probably means the G’s were pounding the ball into the ground all afternoon long.

2013 he hit 2 HRs after the break and was absolutely miserable in the second half. He hit .244/.333/.310 post ASB in 2013. He’s been much better than that post ASB this year but as has been stated has 1 HR and is slugging under .400. This team has proven it can’t survive with him doing that.

Suarez pitched well. A two run deficit should not be insurmountable. This game is on the hitters and the lack of. My old coach went so red ass on pitchers. A 2-1 loss was all pitching. I never bought into that. The disappointment lies with the hitters.

Does anyone else feel the Giants bat speed has lost some of its swing? Pence hasn’t. Buster is just a click off missing the barrel. They’ll get it right. Still time. Dodgers gotta be lappin it up right about now. They make me sick.

Buster is definitely a linchpin for the club but it doesn’t have to be that way. They’ve got other hitters but they’re just not delivering in the clutch. The power vacuum this year has been really bad. Buster is heading for a career low (for a full season) in HR and no Giant is going to get 20 HR. I predict 17 will be the team high and it’ll be Belt (when he’s not striking out so much).

The Dodgers don’t make me sick because they’re displaying a lot of heart with half their roster out injured. We had a chance to put those guys away for the rest of the season yet now we’re hoping like hell for a wildcard berth. One-run wins are a sign of grit and never-say-die and we’re just … well … dying.

Scribes are saying Dodgers are giving top minor league pitching prospect DeLeon a start Sunday.
We need to give Blach a shot too, see what’s there, for the future if nothing else..
Have to believe Suarez did better today than Cain would have.
The ownership group still owes Cain $30 million.
No way they are just going to eat that.
They’ll bend over backwards trying to make him a reliever before that happens.
As usual, he has the right attitude for the rest of this year, just trying to help out.
With all of the likely ‘pen changes next year, there just might be a spot for him.
A 2017 rotation that would include Blach & Beede would be a nice change.
Both these games were winnable, making it a special kind of hell.
Where’s the leadership that is going to right the ship?
Posey, Crawford, Panik and Belt are low-key guys. Pence is the raw-raw guy, but he’s missed so many games the last two years, makes U wonder how he’s viewed by the rest of the team now. They’e the ones who have been out there every day.
Bum has the physical presence & gets right to the point, but he only takes the field once a week. Maybe he doesn’t feel it’s his place to get in people’s faces.
Bochy is great…. when everything else is. But this isn’t the first collapse he’s seen up close, and couldn’t stop.
With baseball, the solution is always hard to find, and comes from a mysterious place no one ever thought of, if it comes at all.

Actually after September 2nd 2013 Buster was having a much better year in 2013 then he is having this year, .309 avg,14 HRs,,69 RBI, SLG% .474, OPS, .849, this year .292 avg, 12 HRs, 62 RBI, SLG% .447, OPS .818 . Posey got hurt on September 3rd 2013, a finger on his right hand was cracked by a foul ball while he was catching , and he missed the next 4 games, then he tried to play through it, but was not good , and he only had 1 more HR, 3 more RBI, and his average dropped to .294 .

His big raise kicks in next season, which will make him the highest paid skipper in MLB history, and run into 2019.
Hard to believe. It’s all based on past peformance, like just about every big baseball deal these days. Never forward thinking.
I like what the Yanks did with Torre in the end. They knew there were getting old and in decline, so they refused to break the bank on him for past glory.
They won it all again in short order with Girardi.
What’s happened since then would fill a whole other book.

Kelly should have already happened.
Bochy’s weakness. Loyal to an extreme fault, at the expense of others.
Hitting coaches….how much of an impact do they really have?
Everybody knows when the third base coach screws up.
When the hitting coach gets canned, it’s usually about the GM sending a message. It’s not like the next guy is going to be a genius and everybody starts hitting 20 points over their lifetime BA.

Oh MyGuyBro™… I know exactly how you feel.
I try to find enough Real Life positives to keep me going and not dwell on the pain. Do whatever you have to do and I will send you the data when the regular season ends. I think if the Giants make the playoffs you will have to watch it and get your hopes up again. We are addicts and it is best to admit it.

I’m actually pretty calm about these last two games. They kept both close against a clearly superior Cubs team, who are doing all of the things we were doing just a few months ago.

With that said, i’ve kept up hope that they’ll find a way out of this and get going enough to get into the post season, but i’m having my doubts. And if they don’t make it that’s just unacceptable. Especially against a Kershawless Dodger team. I take it that Bam-Bam, or Kelly will be offered up as a sacrifice, but Bochy just seems off this year and while I have no idea what goes on behind closed doors, this team seems to be playing with little urgency or fire, and fair or not, that’s a reflection on his leadership. Bochy has gotten a ton of credit during this run, and rightfully so, but this is really the first year in awhile where you feel like he’s lost that touch. At some point you have to wonder if a change at the top is needed. It happens to everyone eventually.

In fairness , I did use the term “heads roll”, and I’ll explain my reason:

If I’m an owner who said “yes” to these investments, and I said ” yes” to trades of young players for older veterans, and I said ” yes” to several long contracts and extensions, and I saw a team fall apart in almost every area….I’m looking for explanations. Reasonable, quantifiable explanations of decisions and of results. I want to know.

So, my point is that THEY will not be happy with this.

When we report our results to our investment group, they want to know the huge investments they make have shown positive results. I know sports are different. But if the Giants result lead to the end of sell outs, and any increase of fan apathy, yes….heads will roll. I have no idea who.

I undersatnd the need to be edgy and as far from a “homer” as possible but “accomplish little else” misses some good work by the Giants pitching and few hitters making hard contact. They held the team with the best record in baseball to one inning of scoring; two runs total.
I wonder how many times the Cubs are held to two runs? If my guests stay stuck in the wonderful Bay Area Friday traffic I might try a quick look at the Cubs game log to count.
Yes, the Giants cannot score for the life of them right now but somethings are going right.
*Pence himself … that I had on the 15-Day last week so we had more than a Half-Pence in the game.
*Pitching .. gap just enough to lose but not The Problem in these loses.
*Fighting to the end … One run losses mean inches were the difference.

One comeback could do an attitudinal makeover for this team. Sometimes a team can try TOO hard and their approach at the plate falls apart. Pence is catching fire but we someone besides Pagan to start getting on base. The next two games are virtually must-wins so we’re fortunate that our aces are on the hill. Keep your fingers crossed.

My guess is the Cubs got to be maybe just a hair under a tad bit concerned somewhere in their bowels of Wrigley field that the currently worst team in baseball goes up against the so called best team in baseball and the Cubs can’t bury the Giants. The Cubs know the Giants are just a click and a bump away from burying them.

I’ve parted for the moment from my Giants are a sac of ass crap attitude just a little. Might try the glass half full approach tomorrow. Maybe. Regardless tomorrow is a must win statement game with the ace Bum.

So to take a page from old coach Crust as we called him behind his back, because he was crusty old bastard, he would say, you losers don’t want to lose today. You can take my word to the bank, you do not want to lose.

sounds like you’re coach and my old coach should get together sometime. He challenged me to fisticuffs in the middle of practice one fine day.

well before my time, he was hooking up with a student, or barely, former student. At least he married the gal. He also like to give a surprise peak at his wang to unsuspecting players. Surprise! Real mature.

Ten years is a long time for one staff to stay in place unchanged. Seven seasons of success can be quickly undone with one or two mediocre ones. Philadelphia stands as a good model for that.

The Giants need some fresh blood. Some new faces and voices, different perspectives, younger and more progressive talent within the organization. That doesn’t necessarily mean heads will roll but changes have to be made.

Very mediocre NL this year. Cubs are a ridiculous 40 games over .500. Nationals are doing really well otherwise it’s mostly jumbled mediocrity. As bad as the Giants have been playing–worst record in baseball post ASB bad–I still very much think they’re going to make the playoffs. That is an unbelievable statement for a team 15-29 over its last 44 games.

Not that Blach is anything resembling DeLeon – dat dude misses bats. Blach will be interesting – can he minimize hard contact at the next level. I’m interested to find out as I am for Blackburn, but the hesitation to launch these guys into the Bigs indicates that the decision makers have their reservations too – they probably see guys like Blach and Blackburn as 6th starter options in an ideal rotation.

The short and often weak bench and the eight-man bullpen are not conducive to proper rest for the everyday guys or good roster depth (or as Earl Weaver called it, deep depth).

Ownership has made enough profit over the years to absorb sunk costs like Cain and Peavy and bring in better players. Now we’ll try to do it with quantity, i.e. Use of 40-man. As Kuip would say “this is not good, folks”.

I agree 100%. See below, I think the Giants sabotaged their own bench by keeping KT in the minors all year after he got healthy and then waiting long after Mac was healthy to bring him back. And also sending Parker down. Once EA came back Gillaspie should have been gone immediately and KT on the bench.

“Bochy has run out of things to say after losses like these. But he doesn’t envision lineup changes, aside from putting Brandon Belt back at first base and Posey behind the plate to face reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta on Saturday.”

And there you have it. A team of mentally beat-up guys, and in some cases physically, an expanded roster, and fewer hits in two games than Brandon Crawford got in one night in Miami, and he “doesn’t envision lineup changes.”

Seriously? Can’t give some playing time to Adrianza or Tomlinson or Williamson or Parker to keep them sharp and to give some tired legs (and brains) a day off? Can’t try shaking up the batting order to see if something clicks? Nothing?

Ironically, bowing out early in the playoffs or not even making the playoffs might cure their inertia vis-a-vis the bullpen and aging players who are breaking down like Pagan. They really do need fresh blood but as long as they have a modicum of success, I fear that they’ll just keep going with the flow. Three world championships make a team feel like a dynasty a la the Braves and the Yankees of the last century. Yet they didn’t even make the playoffs between their championships. Not a dynasty but I’m sure they feel they are in some sense.

This sounds like the old military formation gag (which I think might have been in the movie Stripes) where the Drill Sergeant asks for a volunteer and 5 guys take one step back leaving one dupe who didn’t as the “volunteer” to step forward.

If I were a young Mets pitcher, I’d have my agent make them sign a separate deal where if my arm is destroyed from them overworking me, I still get some money for my future. I couldn’t believe they tough-talked Matz out of shutting it down for the season with his bone spurs. That kid’s already had Tommy John and they’re asking him to take more risks? They abused Wheeler in 2014 and he’s still not back. Thor is pitching through bone spurs. Harvey got shamed into pitching more innings last year, and how’d that work out?

The Mets don’t deserve to have nice things. Fullmer’s lucky he got away.

Yours is a point I’ve made frequently usually greeted with no response. The NL consists of the Cubs and everyone else. The Nats have come on but they don’t wow me. The chances are very high that the Giants will make the playoffs but, like you, I believe that’s more of a statement about the NL’s pervasive mediocrity than the Giant’s excellence.

It was supposed to be the Cubs and Mets at the top, with Giants Dodgers & Nats making up the next tier. And Cards and Pirates nipping some heels too. Not that far off, injuries and inability to get rolling mostly to blame for the separation.

We WILL make the playoffs if we play .500 ball from this point forward. That’s all … just .500 ball. All they need is one decent winning streak to insure a spot in the playoffs. Only problem is that if we don’t win the division then it’s the crapshoot of that one-game playoff.

I feel really sad about Zack. The Giants have done very well with keeping their young pitchers healthy. A couple of relief pitchers have had TJ, but the only system starter I can remember having it in recent years is Eric Surkamp.

Again, I’m not suggesting anyone get “supplanted.” But most teams work in their bench players so that no one gets overworked and no one gets rusty.

This team is in a funk. It’s probably more mental than physical right now. Making a few tweaks from day to day, mixing in some different players, putting some speed at the top of the lineup–might wake them up and take some pressure off.

Would it really be so terrible to have let Pagan rest his injury and give Mac those two starts vs. lefties? Pagan didn’t get on base either game. Would the world really come to an end if Adrianza or Tomlinson got a start in the infield somewhere?

The bottom line is status quo is not working. Not. Working. Refusing to make changes while the team takes one disheartening loss after another, day after day, is a failure of leadership. It just is.

Shark loses focus too easily, and the big inning folllows w/o fail.
Can’t seem to locate when he absolutely has too – the diff from a physically talented .500 pitcher, pretty much where is now, to a polished vet who doesn’t beat himself.
Maybe another offseason working on the c/u and curve will get him to the next level.
That contract means he’s going to be around for awhile.

I totally agree. He sat Pence, he comes back hot. Go back a few games when they sat Panik – for just one game and he came back hot. I believe all you are talking about is a game here and there, nothing permanent. The rest of the infield needs a day of watching someone else out there in their spot and getting a much needed mental break.

It will be interesting to see if Belt comes back with a good game tomorrow after getting a day.

just finished watching the game. this is like a chinese water torture. this team is lifeless. posey looks terrible. he’s lunging at outside pitches, and hitting weak a$$ grounders all day. pagan is playing at 1/2 speed. he already sucks in left at full speed. his hitting is obviously affected as well, with his speed being a big part of his game. if bochy thinks that marching these 2 wounded warriors out, day after day, is the best team he could field, he can start his fishing trip in oct this year.

youth must be infused into this line-up. kelby must play. he’s fast, and he makes things happen. after not seeing major league pitching for ever, he hit a rocket, off a guy that was in the process of spinning a gem. he has no fear, and belongs. next, get mac in the game. he just missed losing one today. he gives them the thing peter craves. he’s also a huuuge upgrade on D.

i think brown should play a few days, and let buster rest, and get treatment. brown’s defense is passable, and he seems to square the ball up pretty frequently. i was also going to say that EA should get some air time, but bcraw has been throwing one good AB after another.

I guess the moral of the story is that Denard Span is the Giants best run creator in the 2nd half (the oft repeated SSS about Span not hitting well to leadoff the game is always good for a chuckle – I’m sure it will resurface).

None of sh1t makes sense. Span is hitting .327. Pagan is raking. Even Posey is getting hits (.297). And then there is everyone else. So it’s like the top of the lineup is good for 3 hits a game (but never in the same inning) and the rest of the line up is taking a siesta.

Why “good for a chuckle”? It’s a stat. It’s not that small of a sample size. It isn’t important to try to get something going in the first inning, when often the opposing starter hasn’t settled in yet? The Giants have been terrible at that all year and Span is partly to blame.

Obviously Span’s been doing great overall and shouldn’t be benched or drowned or anything. My only criticism was that in a stagnant, anemic offense, maybe he’s not the best choice at the leadoff spot, especially when there are other experienced, successful leadoff hitters on the roster. I’m still waiting to hear a counterargument to that specific argument (and no, overall wRC+ in the second half isn’t specific).

It goes to the larger point that when an offense is stalled, for seven weeks now(!), maybe it makes sense to try something different. Bochy did it in 2012 when he moved Pagan to the leadoff spot in August after three months of hitting lower in the order, and the offense immediately caught fire. Why isn’t that a fair question to raise about Span?

Anyone hear someone rip off a toot at Bochys post game presser? Maybe a reporter brought a leather couch like before I don’t know. But someone ripped one off. Surprised it’s not trending right now. WTF

Optimism drops when you see that Belt has struck out one in three times since the break, Pence one in 4. No one has 2nd half power numbers to write home about. Extrapolated, Span and Pagan are on pace to lead the Giants with 10. Whoopee! I thought it was bad then I looked at those stats, our Double A club could have done just as well at the plate.

I think the primary reason for the post-ASG has been the lack of production from the #3 spot in the LU — rather than point fingers at certain players or a particular slow-to-act mgr, how about if the Giants started to bat the hottest hitter of the preceding game at this spot, so that tomorrow Pence is batting 3rd.
I also would like to see Parker and/or MacWill play tomorrow and give Span and/or Pagan a rest (looks like it’s much needed for those two). I mean why not? – the current written-in-stone LU isn’t doing so hot.

Man, I think it’s a system wide failure…it’s the RRDI…Roseanne Rosana Dana Infection, if it ain’t one thing it’s another.

When the starting pitching is good, there’s no hitting. When the hitting is good, the pitching is bad. When the starters and hitting are in sync, the pen blows up. And, it feels like they score 8…. Or 1.

What are the odds on the Padres -Dodgers game with the Dads up 3-2 in the 8th. IMO the Dodgers are still slight favorites.
Two biggest frustrations for me: the Giants pitchers inability to shut down opponents in the first inning and after scoring the tying or go ahead run, and the Dodgers knack for scoring the tying or go ahead run immediately after I hear the score.
Just trying a reverse jinx here.

Dodgers lose. So at least that doesn’t make today a total unbearable failure. Almost a total failure. But not quite. An 11th hour little ray of hope just burst thru. Thanks to the Padres. We will most definitely need the help. I just can’t believe the Padres are bent on helping us by beating the Dodgers. So nice of them.

One of the reasons people get so angry on boards like this is because of the torture of watching this 15-29 post ASB team send up their punchless lineup and their lackluster pitching staff. That’s all.

Luckily, I tend to avoid watching games live when they play like this. The tension makes me angry, then bitter. So I don’t. This is a game I won’t bother to watch.

The Giants spent a lot of money in the offseason to pick up two starting pitchers and a good outfielder. Then, mid-season, they picked up 2 pitchers and a third baseman. I don’t think any of those were bad moves.

What’s wrong with this team, aside from the hitting slump, is obvious. The outfield is old. The bullpen is unsettled. Nobody is having a star year. There’s really no way to fix this except from within.

There are two things that will make fans and everyone else around the team angry at the end of the season. First, that they failed to knock off the Kershaw-less Dodgers for the Division Title. That is simply unacceptable, considering the money they spent on Cueto and Samardzija. Second, the fact that the second half collapse is the worst in anyone’s memory. So something has to be done about that.I don’t know if anyone will get fired, I don’t even know that it’s necessary.

I suspect that what they are going to have to do is play people like KT, Mac, and Jarrett more. But whatever.

The train wreck continues, if they ever decide to play good ball, I will be following: from a distance.

I know a lot of fans are pressing the panic button right now, but I still think that Giants are in good position to control their own fate. These losses have been tough but there are few signs of Giants turning it around:

1) Pence has found his swing. He looks much more comfortable at the plate, and he looks completely healthy. He’s hot.

2) Pitching hasn’t always been lights out but it has kept the game within striking distance and that is honestly all you can ask for at this time of the season.

3) Many of the recent losses have come down to the last inning, the last AB. Few strike calls going our way, balls hit few inches away from where they were put in play can easily influence the outcome of these games.

All it takes is a couple of batters getting hot at the right time and they have one in Pence. Posey has been too great of a hitter in the past to keep struggling like this; The rest of the lineup can find ways to scrap few runs together but once we have both Posey and Pence swinging hot bats at the same time, Giants will start to have these one run losses turn into W’s. Don’t lose hope Giants fans.

I didn’t watch the game but I saw the box score and wondered where Belt was. If Brown was sick then one wonders how beat up Posey is that he needed to play first? We have a 40-man roster and need to play sick guys? I really, really don’t get it.

Unfortunately, KT and the kids aren’t the answer or they would’ve been the answer a couple years ago. Thank God for Bum and Cueto or they’d have a record like AZ or SD to go along with a future with few viable non-pitching prospects. We won in 2012 because we got Pence and Scoots. We won in 2014 because Panik worked out wildly well and Peavy had a 2.17 ERA with us. How long can all of our purchases work out miraculously well? The curtain eventually comes down on miracles. Then we’ll be left with an aging outfield, an aging bullpen, an aging Peavy/Cain, and then Sabevans will realize you can’t buy an entire team.

The chosen one, the golden child , and and the guy is THE FACE OF THE TEAM , the team leader and highest paid position player on the team is the major problem. Buster has not had the second half he has had in years past during the championship runs where he carried the team. He has 1 HR and 20 RBI’s since the All Star break.

Having your cleanup hitter with 1 HR and 20 RBI’s is unacceptable down the stretch. In 2014 he hit .354 with 12 HR’s and 43 RBI. In 2012 he hit .386 with 60 RBI’s and 14HRs’s. IN 2010 11 HR’s and 43 RBIs. This is the kind of production you need from your star in order to succeed.

Is his age and number of years catching finally catching up with him? It is not the number of games started because it is about the same. He has caught 99 games and is on pae for around 115-120 again. He has played first base only 8 times. That means he is not playing or a DH in 25 games. That is taking a day off every 5th game or 20% of the games.

The amount of games played and the production received is not what you need from your best player in a pennant race.

Is it finally time to move him so he can start 155 games a year and give the production of a rested un dinged player that he is capable of or do they insist on playing him at catcher and watch his productivity degrade?

Clearly the bad back is worse than we thought. Also, he is fatigued and dinged up a bit from catching, but he’s the best defensive catcher in the game and all the starters want him back there. Buster wants to catch, and I don’t think we’ll see that change for at least another two years.

They were in a good position to control their fate when they were up 8 games in the division as well. I don’t think it’s overly negative to be tired of watching crap baseball day in and day out. Over the last 2.5 months or so I could randomly select a game on MLB.TV and watch pretty much any team play better baseball day in and day out. The journey matters as well, not just the destination.

Then get used to your $20M man not being the savior of the team as the team heads to mediocrity or as since the AS game has shown worse than mediocre. If he had 15 more RBI’s and say 6 more dingers, they Giants likely have 7 to 8 more wins.

.291. And even at .320 he is a detriment as many of that is singles. I watched the game. Buster was on first. I ground ball to right, not hit overly hard he pulls up at second. A ground ball to right a player should be at third not second.

I agree with the Buster Posey needs to be more productive as a #3 or #4 hitter in the 2nd half, but disagree with the part about him playing Catcher is the reason for his lack of production, is he healthy enough to start games and he has most of the 2nd half he needs to produce at the plate too . I know your main purpose in posting this is to have Posey replace Belt at 1st base, and Belt needs to produce way more as a 1st baseman then he has, and if he does not the Giants will not make the playoffs, but the Giants need both of them in the lineup and producing to be a good team . Buster Posey simply needs to work out harder in the off season, so he does not wear down in the 2nd half , his 2014 season proves it is possible, no excuses from me for him if he is to hurt to produce he would not be able to be in the lineup at all .

I missed most of the game yesterday, due to stupid work. It was nice to read Baggs’ post, not only to catch up on what happened, but to learn that Nunez and Crawford are filled with passion. We gotta stand with OurGuys, to help the hits start to fall in, starting this afternoon. Madison on the hill! Pence on afterburners! Go Giants.

Having a classic #3 hitter would really help this team out (every team would like that as well). Preferably a guy that doesn’t have to catch, that hits with a high average, knocks in runs when they are out there, is consistent, and manages his K rate below 20%.

Almost sounds like a borderline Hall of Fame player. Where is the tree to shake loose this player?

Good morning, Mr. Wavelength. Have you had any baseball conversations with your dear mother last night or this morning. Work wasn’t too bad yesterday, I had the game on my computer while I was spotting, developing, and reading TLC plates – giving them the 365 nm treatment!

Mom and I have a kind of bargain not to get in each others faces too much when these two teams play. I did indicate my displeasure with the “Cubs juggernaut” at the end of their Dodgers’ series, though. And Mom, unlike some here, understands that the Cubs have won by only a single run so far. She agrees with your assessment of Arrieta below, by the way, that his magic is gone.

Usually I can peek at the GameDay, but yesterday was fidgety computer repairs and errands all taking me away from the screen too much. Stupid work! I’ll be 100% present for the afternoon game today. Cheers, Scout!

You will, I doubt if his back is as bad as you think , he could not catch period if it was, even he said a while ago it mainly affected him running, and in the last week he has ran better , a couple infield hits, scored from 2nd base on a single, no excuses period, produce are do not play period .

I can tell you are watching intently, without any bias in your eyes, to his swings and grimaces. I can tell you are able to understand how bad backs work. I’m also so glad that you can have normal discussions with out this weird attack mode.

Thanks again for your post yesterday….I know some folks use this as therapy and just need to vent some frustrations. But, way too many use it to be unacceptably mean spirited. It makes for a tough cesspool. I guess we’re doing them a service so they don’t turn to uglier measures compared to attack words on a blog.

simple stuff, quantifying aflatoxins. When I want a more concise dense spot, I layer with 4 ul capillary tubes, when doing quick runs I use the pipette. Then put the plates in chloroform:acetone 88:12. I like simple procedures, I’m a simple guy, I just want to drink my beer on a boat in a lake with a transistor radio and a rod and reel…

Checking in on the last weekend of the minor league season for our affiliates…

–The River Cats have come on very strong in the second half. They finish at home this weekend, playing Fresno. If they win out, they pass Fresno, escape the cellar, and finish at .500. In any case, props to them for a great second half.

–Richmond has not had a very good year, despite having the Giants’ best prospects. Of course, they didn’t have most of them until June, so there’s that. Arroyo hasn’t played the last two games. “Two Hits” Duggar had three hits last night. Coonrod makes his final start of what’s been a nice year for him (started in San Jose). Beede is listed as tomorrow’s starter.

–San Jose, oddly, has already clinched a playoff spot despite an under-.500 record for the year. It’s complicated and explained by a strong first half (when they still had all the good players who moved to Richmond and Bickford, who was traded). 2016 draftee Heath Quinn was moved there two days ago, and it will be interesting to see if anyone else is promoted from S-K (no playoffs) or Augusta (see below) for the playoffs.

–Augusta has the best record of any full-season affiliate at 75-60 but could actually miss the playoffs. They play Rome this weekend–doubleheader today–and if they can win the division (they’re a half game back), they go to the playoffs. If they don’t, they’re out in the cold. Strange, juxtaposed with SJ having a losing record and already in the playoffs.

If you paid attention you would have known I did have a bad back in high school that prevented me from playing football in high School , and was in bed for 2 weeks Grimace lots of players grimace, if you are in the lineup the Manager and training staff say your good to play, so no excuses. Nice insult by you to end your post,, it would not be you without one .

There are many ways to look at this stretch of games. One could say it’s all over, or it’s preparation for being able to weather a playoff push. Forged by fire, if you will.

It’s worked before, but it’s no guarantee it will happen again. You think it’s hard for us? Think of the guys that actually have to pull something like this off. I haven’t seen you here before, Hoona, but it seems like you’ve picked up the gist of a journey like this. It may not come to pass, but in the words of the late Rosanna,

And Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum are starting pitchers. That’s what they’ve always done. They used to do a fine job of it, just like Span used to do a fine job at being a leadoff hitter.

Maybe when someone’s going to be 33 and has lost a step due to injuries, it’s time for “always done” to turn into “the new normal.” Maybe going forward Lincecum and Cain should be relievers. Maybe Span should be a 7-9 hitter.

But I’m really not just picking on Span. I’m picking on a stagnant lineup. Energy at the top can be one way to shake it out of the doldrums. Pagan, Nunez, and even Kelby Tomlinson are energy providers. Span?–Not that I’ve seen this year, and for all his “second-half guy” assertions, I remember him doing pretty much nothing in the 2014 NLDS, too. EDIT: He hit .105 with a .150 OBP in the 2014 NLDS–2 for 19 with one walk.

I went to a game at Levi’s weather was hot. I have truly never seen a more hostile crowd, and never felt as unsafe. If the cops choose to boycott, at that stadium, with that low life group of drunk wanna be gangster “fans”…. Fights will dominate, people will die.

And Efrain puffs his chest and thinks it’s fine if they stay home.

I find it curious how some people who act the toughest tend to be the dumbest.

Wow is all i can say about my SFGs. This second half has been as bad as the first half was excellent. Baseball sure has a way of humbling you and just making you feel like poop! Hard hit balls find gloves and bloopers find gloves, hitting into triple plays and getting doubled off a base because your teammate hit a smash at one of the opponents infielders ? The only thing i can think of is that this is still a very very good team and when the luck starts turning it’s gonna be all good when mayor Lee starts speaking!

The Cats had quite a few Giants in the 2nd half, with a bunch of the Cats at the MLB club. A strange mixup. I think I gotta get a Flying Squirrels sweatshirt or something – that is a crucial level in the organization, as well as a cool name.

Eleuthero’s been complaining all year about the mediocrity, and he has a point. The Giants are 10 games over .500 and leading the wild card race. Last year the Cubs were the SECOND wild card with 97 wins! The Giants are on pace to win 86 (and I think we’d all be relieved if they even did that).

Meanwhile, the mediocre Giants trail the slightly-less-mediocre Dodgers by only two games. It’s not hard to imagine the winner of the NL West not even getting to 90 wins. Wow.

GC-MS is no doubt the first thing to try for a complex analysis. But Footy is also doing some kind of biological analysis. Maybe he can tell us more on some slow baseball morning! Matthew will immediately recognize gas chromatography/mass spectrum as NCIS’s “Major Mass Spec.” joke.

You and I share that bad back history. That being the case, you must understand how it has zapped his power stroke. He’s a battler , so wants to play through it…that doesn’t seem to be helping the team, necessarily. But he’s clearly still the best option at catcher anyway.

Have you seen the Hipster Artisan Foodie transformation in Brooklyn? This country has the weirdest gentrification going on….people are being priced out of Brooklyn, Oakland, and other working class cities. Eek.

My friend Kimmy lives in Oakland by way of Fairfield and said that the hipster community in Oakland is out of control. Rent is sky rocketing and everything. New cafes and restaurants etc….. I’ve been called a hipster before by a few and i really dont like it smh.

That double that short hopped the Left Center field wall at 383 ft, shows he has power, and those grimaces you were posting about happened , because he was swinging for the fences, if he was hurting that bad you would see some half swings trying only for singles ..

Intermittently, he is. Did you see those swing, like the slow grounder to 2nd in the 9th yesterday? As with any back issue, it comes and goes, and grabs randomly. I sure hope we see a power surge soon, and I hope they are aggressively treating him…I’ll believe it w hen I see it at this point

He looks scary. Speaking of, we just read about surfing tryouts at Dana Point that were interrupted by a DEER who rushed into the ocean. Can you imagine? I think I’d literally s**t from fear if I were one of those surfers.

I literally had heard of only four players in the Padres’ lineup last night and none of their pitchers.

The Dodgers have trouble with lefties–the Padres started one last night, and also used two lefty relievers later in the game. Nonetheless, the Dodgers had 13 hits (9 off the starter) and only two runs.

That adorable 60-day DL routine could be re-used with the minor league seasons ending this weekend. Black is legitimately injured–he’s been out for weeks–but maybe Crick or Gregorio or someone they’re not going to call up could have a sore “something” in the next two days.

My last fight was in 1990 lol. We fought for so long that he and i were just leaning against the car holding each other up.Boy we were exhausted hell i can’t even remember what the fight was about BUT neither one of us pulled out a gun to try and settle it.

Boy this is gonna be the bottom of the bottom. Get swept by Cubs and then go to play a very hot Rockies in a stadium that should be outlawed. Finish up with the Dbacks in another hot stadium for the long ball. Could very feasibly be a 2-8 road trip. Wild Card is becoming a rear window look.

Again, Belt was the best hitter (by OPS) on the team in the first half of the season and probably still is. (Yup, 35 pts ahead of posey and 47 pts ahead of Pence.) So it would be idiotic to get rid of a potentially consistent 900 OPS player just in the hopes that Buster will rebound.

You can talk about moving Buster, or Belt, but trading Belt would be stupid.

irellevant to the discussion. The point is well made that Buster is not producing for a variety of excuses given. His catching is a wear on him that is a certain. Is that the reason his production is way down this year as his years and age are increasing? Bottom line is your paying your figure head of the team over $20M dollars and you are playing him 80% of the time. You need him 95% of the time and healthy. How does that get accomplished?